Model S and X Care Tips for Longevity

Tesla has announced the end of production for the Model S and Model X, a move that will transform the resale market for these flagship models and raise practical concerns for owners planning to keep their vehicles long-term.

Elon Musk confirmed this decision during the Q4 2025 earnings call, describing it as an “honorable discharge.” The Fremont factory, where these vehicles have been manufactured since 2012, will transition to produce Optimus robots. No successor models are planned, and the last units are expected to leave the assembly line in Q2 2026.

The immediate impact will be an influx of used inventory over the next 12 to 18 months. Those who placed last-minute orders, long-term owners looking to upgrade, and fleet operators clearing stock will all be selling. As a result, prices are likely to stabilize at levels that reflect real-world depreciation, rather than the premium these cars commanded as Tesla’s halo products.

For buyers who couldn’t previously justify the original price of a Plaid or loaded Long Range, this creates an opportunity. For existing owners planning to keep their cars, the conversation shifts towards maintenance and the long-term needs of their vehicles.

The Model S comes from the factory with either 19-inch Cardenio or 21-inch Arachnid wheels, while the Model X has 20-inch Slipstream wheels as standard, with 22-inch Turbine wheels as an upgrade. Both cars come with staggered setups on most trims, meaning different front and rear sizes. This prevents front-to-rear tire rotation, which accelerates wear and increases long-term running costs. The 21-inch and 22-inch staggered options also come with low-profile tires that can be harsh on imperfect roads, and OEM replacement costs are steep.

Unplugged Performance has filled a gap that has existed for years with the UP-RW FF Road Warrior, a flow-formed version of their forged UP-RW wheel. This is the first time the Road Warrior design has been available for Model S and Model X, in a single 19-inch diameter that fits every S, 3, X, and Y variant worldwide.

The switch to a square 19-inch setup means all four tires are the same size, which enables front-to-rear rotation. This alone pays for a meaningful chunk of the cost of the wheels over the life of a set of tires. The taller sidewall also absorbs road imperfections that low-profile rubber simply transfers straight to the cabin. Owners originally equipped with 19-inch wheels can reuse their factory tires directly, and the wheel is designed to work with existing Tesla TPMS sensors, so there are no extra sensors to buy or program. However, the wheel is not compatible with bolt-on wheel spacers.

The UP-RW FF carries a load rating of 2,095 lbs (950 kg) per wheel, matching the forged version and well above the platform’s requirements. It comes backed by a lifetime structural warranty: if the wheel cracks or breaks during normal daily use, Unplugged replaces it for the original owner. The aerodynamic design carries over from the forged UP-RW, which was validated through CFD testing at 20 inches. In that study, the UP-RW reduced drag by 12.3% compared to Tesla’s factory Performance 20-inch wheels, landing within 0.010 Cd of Tesla’s 18-inch Photon Aero wheel, the lowest-drag option.